[An Archaeologist’s Guide to British Species] #82: Catfish

In 2023, I am continuing to blog an A-Z compendium of human interactions with species in the British landscape. A list of references for information used in this series can be found here. An index of species covered so far can be found here.

Catfish

Siluris glanis

Siluris glanis. Image by Dieter Florian (CC BY_SA 3.0 de)

Also known as wels

A native of Central Europe, catfish were introduced as a sport fish to the lakes at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire in the early 1900s, and subsequently introduced to other lakes in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, as well as the reservoir at Tring in Hertfordshire. Catfish are only eaten young, as adults may be fatty and can contain toxins through bioaccumulation.  Catfish skin may be tanned and used like leather. When German forces occupied Norway in the 1940s, leather from animal hides was confiscated, and catfish skin was used as an alternative.